Ashley Judd Writes a Kickass Feminist Essay About Her Puffy Face

[ismnotwasm]

Ashley Judd Writes a Kickass Feminist Essay About Her Puffy Face
I've never thought much about Ashley Judd beyond the blandest adjectives—she's pretty, she seems nice, her pores look really small—but it turns out she's also a smart, bold, kickass feminist. In an essay for the Daily Beast today, following weeks of tasteless speculation about the puffiness of her face, Judd smacks down her detractors and frames the entire kerfuffle (along with our celebrity-shredding culture at large) as "a misogynistic assault on all women." Which it is. My love for Ashley Judd grew three sizes this day.
In case you haven't been obsessively following Judd-puff-maggedon 2012 (because you possess actual priorities, a conscience, a desire to take a nap, or literally anything else to do), here's a brief refresher: The tabloid press—and, by extension, the entire internet—recently noticed that medium-famous celebrity-woman Ashley Judd went from having a regular beautiful face to a very-slightly-puffier-than-average beautiful face. And everyone went fucking apeshit.

http://jezebel.com/5900444/ashley-judd-writes-a-kickass-feminist-essay-about-her-puffy-face?tag=feminism

[MissMarple]

1. Ashley Judd has grit, and she's a lady.

Ladies have moral fiber, are fair, gracious, and kind. And they don't tolerate disrespect from anyone.

For ladies everywhere:

[redqueen]

2. !!!!!!

Ashley Judd is a liar and a coward who is terrified of aging! Ha-ha, women, we tricked you! The only thing worse than looking old is trying not to look old because we told you not to look old! Also, you're fat!

[ismnotwasm]

4. From her essay

Four: When I have gained weight, going from my usual size two/four to a six/eight after a lazy six months of not exercising, and that weight gain shows in my face and arms, I am a “cow” and a “pig” and I “better watch out” because my husband “is looking for his second wife.” (Did you catch how this one engenders competition and fear between women? How it also suggests that my husband values me based only on my physical appearance? Classic sexism. We won’t even address how extraordinary it is that a size eight would be heckled as “fat.”)

It's awesome.

[redqueen]

6. And most people would call that just 'common sense'.

Of course he'd be attracted to other women. If a woman is fat, then no other quality can possibly supersede that!

Message to women: Your body, looks, appearance, etc are the most important thing about you.

And hardly anyone ever questions this. It's accepted as 'common knowledge'.

[seabeyond]

19. It's accepted as 'common knowledge'.... yes. it is beyond stupid. nt

[MotherPetrie]

7. "From my usual size two/four" - snort. Yeah, we get it, Ashley. You're usually THIN.

And six/eight it just so FAT.

[redqueen]

8. You must have missed this part:

We won’t even address how extraordinary it is that a size eight would be heckled as “fat.”

[MotherPetrie]

10. No, I didn't miss it. I read her self-centered piece a long time ago. I wondered then, as I wonder

now, why she simply didn't give negative remarks about her puffiness the attention they deserve - NONE.

[redqueen]

12. Because the 'ignore misogyny and it will magically disappear!' routine failed,

quite spectacularly.

[seabeyond]

20. cause really, problem solved a women keeping mouth shut and not addressing womens issues

demurely lowering eyes in shame.

[kestrel91316]

26. That's gonna leave a mark on one troll's face!! LOL

[seabeyond]

18. i hear ya... nt

[redqueen]

3. Also, THIS! A million times THIS!

The assault on our body image, the hypersexualization of girls and women and subsequent degradation of our sexuality as we walk through the decades, and the general incessant objectification is what this conversation allegedly about my face is really about.

And it's so ubiquitous, that many otherwise smart and intelligent men AND women simply DO. NOT. GET. IT.

It is, for all intents and purposes, invisible.

And THAT'S why I call it out, each and every time. And I get ignored by a lot of people, and a lot of people think my approach doesn't help. But IMO their approach, the nicey nice 'let the "little" examples of fucking bigotry-enabling, patriarchy-serving bullshit go has resulted in this current reversal of progress in the battle for women's rights.

So pardon my French and all, but fuck that.

[seabeyond]

21. well now... i think

i will agree with you. fuck that. lol

[MotherPetrie]

5. "A misogynistic assault on all women"?! Oh please. Overreaction much?!

Note to Ashley Judd: You know what's PUFFY about you? Your fucking ego!

[redqueen]

9. Did you even read it?

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/04/09/ashley-judd-slaps-media-in-the-face-for-speculation-over-her-puffy-appearance.html

Might want to do that first, and then comment.

Also I hope you're familiar with feminist theory. This is a protected group, and people who come here are expected to either already have a grasp on the basics, or be open to learning them. A hostile attitude toward women or feminist theory is not welcome here.

[MotherPetrie]

11. Oh, I have been a feminist since 1969. That doesn't mean I have to admire Ashley Judd.

I don't recall her going to bat for feminism until her own ox was gored.

[redqueen]

13. This isn't about Ashley, but about what she said in response to misogynist rantings about her.

As for women who don't 'go to bat' for feminism until it's their own ox being gored, that is quite common.

We all grow up in this misogynist culture, and many (most?) of us don't see through it right away. We get cookies for playing along, so it's no mystery why so many women do play along. Unless a girl has a strong feminist role model early in life, it's almost guaranteed that they will, because seriously, why wouldn't they?

How many people intuitively recognize the problems with their own culture? An infinitesimally small amount. As the man said, the last thing a fish would notice would be water.

http://finallyfeminism101.wordpress.com/2007/10/20/internalized-sexism/

[ismnotwasm]

14. Hmm

You don't?

[seabeyond]

23. judd has spoken out often, and is a loud and clear voice on many issues. nt

[Tuesday Afternoon]

17. wow

talk about ego.

[seabeyond]

25. hey... you know what i was talking about this morning???? lol. nt

[seabeyond]

22. who are you? are you a man? again

i see a favorite group is guns. it seems like most the people that come in here, spewing crap like yours is from the gun group. i mean exclusively. i wonder what that is about.

[JTFrog]

31. So, besides judging poor people, hating on folks like Obama and Wes Clark,

and dropping turds in the feminist group, what the fuck are you doing on DU?

[seabeyond]

32. hmmmm, lol

interesting.

[MissMarple]

15. There is one thing, though.

Despite the eloquence, the passion for change, and the ongoing cultural shifts we are experiencing, and the consequent pathetic albeit dangerous reactions to that, you just can't fix stupid. And haters are going to hate...something. They are always looking.

[ismnotwasm]

16. LOL

Well said

[seabeyond]

24. true. but i think the infestation of disrespect for women has gone beyond the haters and now

becoming part of a norm, conditioning even those that are not the haters that will always be. those are the people that need to hear, and think

[MissMarple]

29. Yes, and I think that is close to a real change

It's the stupid and the haters who will never go away. We may be seeing a reaction because people are so protective of their beliefs. It' an over reaction. And then there is the pandering and rable rousing. Gut reactions always trump thinking, but all is never lost. Many will chman ge because it becomes ok to do so.

[catbyte]

27. She has been awesome for years. I watched a Sundance Channel show,

Iconoclasts, which pairs people in different fields and they chat. She was with Madeleine Albright and they both kicked ass. It was a great way to spend an hour.

[left coaster]

28. The article was posted in April 2012.. yes, it's great!

I've been following Ashley on Facebook for the past year..

https://www.facebook.com/AshleyJuddClub

http://www.facebook.com/pages/All-That-Is-Bitter-and-Sweet-by-Ashley-Judd/185570838141000

http://ashleyjudd.com/




She's an activist, feminist, and a highly intelligent, decent human being, with a real flare for writing.. what's not to love?

[seabeyond]

30. i do not do facebook

but that last site was fun. thanks.

[ismnotwasm]

35. I don't do Facebook either

I was beginning to think I was the only one

[seabeyond]

36. ha ha. this is the closest i get to social network

i just learned how to do text. hubby got me an iphone last christmas. it is driving my kids... and nieces and nephews mad. i dont have to type. i can just speak. so i can go on and on and on, lol.

a woman i barely know insisted i look at her picture in facebook. a good couple years ago. i guess i signed up. now i have complete strangers wanting to be friends... eeeew, lol. i didnt even want to look at the damn pictures, lol.

[GeorgeGist]

33. Ok, I'll say it ...

steroids.

[ismnotwasm]

34. You are right

In the article she's she was on prednisone or something. Good eye.